The Process to Develop the Code & Other Project Plans and Activities

The process to develop the Murad Code and larger project of which it forms part is currently in its 6th phase. The current phase is funded by the government of Canada. Phases 1 to 5 were supported by funding and in-kind support by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative of the UK government, IICI, Nadia’s Initiative and other partners.

The 1st phase involved comparative research across different fields to identify and analyse existing codes of conduct, best practices and guidelines relevant for conflict-related sexual violence documentation. This was to assess and compare core standards and to gain insights from all groups who engage with survivors.

The 2nd phase involved in-person, remote and written preliminary discussions or soundings with a wide array of practitioners, survivors and other stakeholders on the concept of a global code of conduct and on core standards which should be included in a code, as well as on other components of the project. Using a template of questions shared prior to the soundings, most meetings lasted between 2-3 hours. This phase took place from July 2019 to February 2020.

Soundings: OVERVIEW

The 3rd phase entailed the preparation of the Draft Murad Code. It was drafted based on the research and soundings. It was launched in June 2020 for global consultations and further development.

The 4th phase focused on globally consulting with and requesting feedback from survivors and other experts and stakeholders from different sectors on the Draft Murad Code and other aspects of the larger Murad Code project, including the survivor’s toolkit, the “survivors’ charter” or survivors’ perspectives resource, and the set of practical Code-implementation tools and guidance (formerly, "‘commentary to the Code’). The April 2022 or ‘working’ version of the Murad Code was released during the 4th phase. During the 4th phase, IICI was able to reach out to approximately 1,310 individuals and organisations across 112 countries.

The 5th phase (April 2022 to June 2023) involved, among other elements:

• the translation of the Murad Code into additional languages

• starting to develop, in partnership with the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (HRC), a practical guide on how to conduct survivor-centred and effective open-source research, investigations and other information-gathering (OSR) into SCRSV

• providing remote technical advice and other support (“help-desks”) to various civil-society, governmental, inter-governmental and other actors on the importance and integration of the Code in their work

• discussing ideas for the implementation of the Code within and across different sectors, and otherwise raising more awareness about the Code, including through the IICI-hosted panel discussion at the PSVI conference of November 2022 in London.

The 6th phase will last from 2023-26. IICI will shortly share more details about this phase. Building on the foundations of the work done in 2019-23, and working with partners around the globe, the focus in 2023-26 would be on:

• the improved implementation of the minimum standards distilled in the Code by documenters, investigators, funders, humanitarians, governments, inter-governmental organisations, journalists and others

• the use of the Code by survivors to demand respect for their human rights during documentation and other information-gathering processes

• improved collaboration and cooperation between and within sectors.

The 6th phase will, among other work, see the conclusion of the development of the survivors’ perspectives resource and a multi-media survivors’ toolkit, and of the OSR guide; the development of a guide for funders, and audit and competency-assessment tools for organisations; awareness-raising and implementation dialogues with and between various sectors and actors; the provision of technical and other support to those who may require assistance to better understand and adhere to the Code; and the formation of a multi-sectoral international advisory group.

As part of the launch of this website in June 2020, the “Draft Global Code of Conduct for Investigating and Documenting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence” – the Draft Murad Code – was presented for global consultations and further development.

Survivors, governments, documenters, donors, other practitioners and organisations from across sectors and the world were encouraged to engage with the Draft Code and the larger Murad Code project and to share their insights with a view to building consensus around a powerful Code and project with wide support. They were encouraged to read the Draft Murad Code with the background paper of which it forms part before submitting feedback on the Draft Code and other aspects of the project.

One of the core principles of IICI’s approach to the Murad Code project is to make best efforts to ensure an inclusive, collaborative process reaching to access as many different perspectives from different lived experiences and contexts, and professions as possible. At the heart of this has been the central engagement of SCRSV survivors from all around the world to help steer and shape the Code and other project components throughout all stages and phases.

During the global consultation phase, IICI facilitated a series of dedicated survivor consultations, through which SCRSV survivors were engaged during workshops discussing and listening to their views and experiences of when others documented the SCRSV which they have experienced. These views fed directly into the Code, and the ongoing development of the survivors’ perspectives resource and survivor’s toolkit. We also engaged survivors in:

• 1:1 consultative conversations

• thematic and regional roundtables

• the process to generate written reviews of the Draft Code

• online workshops to help finalise the latest version of the Code. 

Overall, IICI understands that 72 people who identify as survivors participated in these various engagements, coming from 17 countries including: Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina (“B & H”), Burundi, Canada, Colombia, the DRC, Iraq (including the Kurdistan region of Iraq), Kenya, Liberia, Nepal, Rwanda, Uganda, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Venezuela.

The group-survivor consultations were organised with partners in B & H, Colombia, the DRC, Uganda, Ukraine and Nepal. These partners included Nadia’s Initiative, the Mukwege Foundation/SEMA Network, AMERUV, Men of Hope and Refugee Law Project. 

The survivors ranged in age from 25-72 years of age, had diverse levels of education (from secondary school up to advanced university degrees) and were varied in terms of urban/rural residence and income levels. 71% identified as women, 20% as men, 2% non-binary and 7% other. Survivors also come from LBGTQI+ communities, indigenous and marginalised ethnic groups. Some were displaced (IDPs and refugees). Some of the women had children born from the crimes against them, and some of the survivors (while adults now) were children at the time of the crimes against them.

After having processed the large volume of insightful feedback received before April 2021, areas that would benefit from more in-depth expert consultations were identified. Roundtable discussions and other expert talks were held from October 2021 to early 2022. These more in-depth discussions focused on, among other areas, the Draft Code and:

• people with disabilities

• survivors who document SCRSV

• LGBTQI+ rights

• child rights

• the Middle East

• Latin America.

Including participating survivors, IICI estimates that 337 individuals or organisations from at least 64 different countries have provided feedback. The feedback was relatively evenly spread across a range of disciplines including humanitarian and protection actors; human rights actors including women, LGBTQI+, child and disability rights specialists; the media; national and international justice actors; academic researchers; the military and security sector; private and governmental donors; and international affairs and policy actors. 

A summary of the feedback obtained during this consultation process can be accessed here. A full unabridged collation of the feedback which has been de-identified can be accessed here. At this time, both these sources are available only in English.

Following an intensive review process, the Murad Code was released on 13 and 14 April 2022. On 13 April, the release was announced during the UN Security Council open debate on sexual violence in conflict. On 14 April, the Murad Code was the focus of an IICI & Nadia’s Initiative co-hosted webinar on Survivor-Centred Documentation of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: the Murad Code Project. A recording of the webinar is available here on UN Web TV (in English, including English live captioning, and with International Sign language interpretation). The webinar moderators, speakers and panellists were Nadia Murad, Lord Tariq Ahmad, Miriam Lewin, Nadine Tunasi, Erin Gallagher, Priya Gopalan, Ingrid Elliott, Philip Trewhitt and Gabriel Oosthuizen.

IICI hosted a panel discussion on the theme “The Murad Code: how to implement it” at the PSVI conference of 28-29 November 2022 in London. The video-recording of the panel discussion can be found here. The panellists and audience shared examples & ideas for how the Murad Code can be implemented. The panellists mainly focused on cooperation across sectors, and by funders, governments, humanitarian actors, the media and civil society, including survivor organisations. The panellists were Nadia Murad, Kolbassia Haoussou, Nina Donaghy, Ingrid Elliott, Mollie Fair and Brahmy Poologasingham; the discussion was moderated by Gabriel Oosthuizen. IICI was delighted at the level of implementation support expressed for the Murad Code at the PSVI conference, including by governments.

Next Steps

See the basic information regarding the 6th phase of the project above. Further details will follow in due course.